Black Hole

I really enjoyed the before and after pictures at the beginning of each chapter with the short paragraph about that person's experience in getting the mutation. It provided a very interesting and personal perspective on the whole thing. In a way, the realization that you have the mutation is in itself a sort of personal apocalypse (in relation to the definition of apocalypse as a "revelation"). It is very interesting to see how different characters react to getting the mutation. It is also interesting to consider that these reactions are likely based largely off of how drastic the mutation is. For example, the character with the mouth in his neck is fairly nonchalant about the whole thing, while Chris, whose skin peels off, seems to be exponentially more affected by her mutation. The varying dynamics create a lot of intrigue. I really enjoyed reading this.

Black Hole

[Image from pg. 155 in the pdf]

Since I cannot find a way to link the image to the post, I will have to describe the scene I selected. I chose the scene where Chris and Marci are eating at a fast food joint and Marci makes unpleasant comments about the teens with the bug eating out of the trash can and Chris changes the subject.

This scene can be viewed from a couple of different angles. For one thing, Burns could be criticizing the way that many people in today's society can say offensive things that affect people that we are talking to simply because we don't know and others don't show the same symptoms as others that are being criticized. The way Marci talks about teens with the bug obviously makes Chris uncomfortable.Chris is evidently offended by Marci's comment because she has the bug as well, just to a less severe degree. The stigma against the bug is highly evident in this passage.

Black Hole

I don't really know how to link an image; so I'm just going to describe it. The image I'm referring to is before Chris leaves, when she looks at all her achievements and a picture of her holding a trophy- it was a like an album she was holding of her old memories when she didn't have the "bug". She never used to skip classes and was a good student, but now she was referring to all her awards and work she accumulated over the years as "stupid little things." This highlights how people tend to completely transform themselves when they feel they are in an apocalyptic or horrible situation. She changed herself completely and felt lost. I feel like that happens a lot during traumatic or catastrophic situations. Like in Iraq, if young teenagers didn't have a stable family and lots of faith during the war, then they ended up resorting to drugs and violent behavior. It was an apocalypse for them, seeing people they knew, family members or friends, being killed off as civilian casualties. As a result, some adopted toxic behaviors, and dropped out of school ruining all their hard work. Like the situation with Chris, in apocalyptic times, some people give up what they've always been working for and completely alter their lives because of these terrible situations.

Black Hole

While reading Black Hole, I had mixed feelings about it due to the strong dialogue and somewhat graphic images.  However after finishing it, I thought it brought up a lot interesting topics that were relatable to past and present issues in our society, such as sexually transmitted diseases or the illegal use of marijuana.  What really stood out to me was the contrast in the way of living between the “normal” and “outcast” kids.  From my interpretation, the “normal” kids were the ones who did not have the sexually transmitted ‘bug” or do drugs.  Their way of living was deemed comfortable and complete; they had a home and family.  On the other hand, those that had the “bug” or smoked pot were considered the “outcasts.”  Their way of living was the other end of the extreme; they didn’t have a conventional home or family.  Their home and family were the woods and the other outcasts.  I thought this strongly resembled certain events in past history.  People of different religions, colors, and illnesses have been discriminated and outcasted due to their “unconventional” differences.  Just like the “outcast” kids, they were pushed away from the majority and had to fend for themselves.  Although Black Hole may have been provocative, sometimes it’s the only way to make people think about important topics on a deeper level and relate it back to their reality.

Black Hole

In these two passages, I found there to be a theme of juxtaposition in the way the characters view each other. In terms of Chris, she believes that she is a monster. She has the bug and her back is beginning to split. She can't even look at herself in the mirror. To take out her anger, she turns to smoking, something we find out earlier in the book that she doesn't normally do. But in terms of Pearson, Chris is the most beautiful girl in the world, one that he would do anything for. These two passages combined together brought up a sense of what love truly is. In a disastrous time period where people are becoming infected and are transmitting diseases, it seems odd to find a pair of people that illustrate what love is and should be. Pearson stands out in this apocalyptic period as the only person who accepts Chris for who she really is and defies the societal norms that focus on beauty. It is always reassuring in times of disaster to see hope and joy from someone who has gone through it all, and through his love for Chris, Pearson exemplifies the hope that survives during an apocalypse. It also is very interesting to see Chris feel the same way towards another guy. Maybe these two main characters are shown with romantic feelings as a way to escape the disasters that they have encountered, illustrating how even in the darkest of times, there still is a light that shines and gives hope. 

11/06/14 Cristal Kim

In my selection, I noticed the motif of smoking and cigarettes; most notably, Rob says "You are what you smoke" to Chris before he transmits the disease to her. In society, smoking is viewed negatively. We constantly hear about the dangers and consequences of smoking, so the phrase, "You are what you smoke," mirrors the other common idiom to represent that Rob is the embodiment of vice. He spreads the "bug," the consequences of sexually transmitting this disease. Then he dreams of Chris asking for a light but the cigarette begins to take other mutated forms; now, he begins to view cigarettes negatively. Before, he admitted to smoking Kools, but now he sees how demented and twisted they are. He obviously blames himself for Chris, that cigarettes are no longer a pleasure for him but a symbol of the disease. And then there's Lisa who begins to take up smoking after she experiences changes and feels betrayed. After experiencing a life changing experience, in an almost apocalyptic manner, smoking is just a vice to give into. Especially, now, with no one to turn to, Lisa finds she has no reason not to smoke now that she views her life as irreparable. Abandoned and alone, there is no stopping her from giving into her vices. Furthermore, the passage I selected, shows Rob trying to stop her from smoking. He is shocked to see her picking up the habit because he is aware of the consequences and the negative he has of them now.

Blackhole

            

I found the comic Blackhole to be very interesting and also very thought-provoking. One of the harder pages to read was the scene when Chris visits her best friend from high school and Marci is telling Chris about what she has been doing and showing her recent pictures of their friends. This causes a rift in the two girls’ friendships because there is a disconnect between the two girls. Marci can’t comprehend what Chris has experienced because of her condition, and gets offended when Chris says that Kyle’s hair “looks kind of dumb”. However, in light of everything Chris experienced, it is only natural that she would find everyday life and typical high school “kind of dumb”. This shows that once someone has experienced an apocalyptic event and is living in an apocalyptic world, it is almost impossible for that person to relate to the people who have not been affected by the apocalypse. Although Chris and Marci love each other, they can’t seem to relate to one another as they once did. This is one sad outcome of apocalypses.

Social Criticisms in Black Hole

*For some reason, blogger won't let me post with the image in here, but it is on page 338 of the pdf.

     I think that this page is one of the best examples of what I found one of Burns' criticisms to be. I see these frames as a commentary on the hatred that many afflicted persons have towards unaffected people. Of course, the afflicted in the case of Black Hole were looked down upon and were the recipients of hatred in the first place, but I believe that there is also a degree of preconception regarding "normal" people held by the "freaks" that magnifies their reactions to people. I can think of many places where such a phenomenon can be seen: racism, poverty, appearance, etc.

     I cannot argue that this was Burns' main point in the comic, but it definitely deserves mention because I think that it lends more to the degradation of society and culture than any other element. Prejudice is a huge factor behind violence, and the continuation of this prejudice leads only to more violence; quite a vicious cycle in my opinion, and one that can only provide destruction, even the fall of nations.

    As a note on the comic as a whole, I found it very unpleasant and disconcerting to read. I literally vomited a small amount in the opening volumes and was the target of many judgmental glances in the library. I suppose that some aspects of it were thought provoking, but even then only to a small degree. Anyway, please don't assign something like this again Ali :).